Single Review: Carrie Underwood - "Blown Away"

Carrie Underwood's back in a big way with a soon to be Platinum fourth album called Blown Away and with that she's now released "Blown Away" to country radio. Read on to learn more about "Blown Away" and see what we think bout the song some are calling 'epic' and 'brave'.

That said, "Blown Away" finds her in territory that none of her prior singles have entered. It's far more pop than its predecessors, more grandiose, and far more risky. Like the gathering storm clouds she sings about, the production forms gradually throughout the first verse — synthesizer, pizzicato strings and chimes, then a wall of backing vocals, all building up to a soaring chorus. The overall thundrous production and echoed "blown away"s throughout also aid greatly in the dark, stormy feel.

Taut, simple but effective lyrics convey the scene, easily one of the darkest storylines in any recent country song. A storm is brewing near an Oklahoma house, occupied by an abusive drunk father and his daughter. When a twister hits and kills said father, the daughter calls it "sweet revenge." Swept up in the wind are both the house (in the literal sense) and the painful memories of the past (in the metaphorical sense). For only two verses and a chorus, an incredible amount of detail and metaphor is packed in for maximum impact.

"Blown Away" is the kind of song that comes along so rarely. It has all the markings of a career song — one of those songs that is remembered for years to come, like "The Dance." It's the kind of song that grabs hold of you from the first note and never lets go. It's the kind of song that makes itself known by sounding like absolutely nothing else on radio. It's the kind of song that provoked me to write a longer review than usual. I have rarely been this passionate about a single, but trust me on this one. "Blown Away" is a milestone song.